99% of | Kaytranada

The Montreal native decided to share with the world for the very first time that he’s gay. Wherever his personal life is at, 99.9% certainly sounds like the work of a mature artist. Now that he’s truly let his fans (and the world) in, he’s ready to let us hear the 99.9% of him.

The project was led with additional features coming from Craig David, AlunaGeorge, GoldLink, Vic Mensa, River Tiber, Little Dragon and more. Crossed by his single with .Paak , Glowed Up — there’s no doubt of talent on the album. It was thanks to If [quick throwback] and his proportionally follow-up remixes of Amerie and Missy Elliott in early 2013. And was soon booking shows across Europe. Heavy nonstop touring kept him from working on the album he’d long dreamed of making. In 2014, he signed to XL Recordings, the storied London label that’s been home to M.I.A. and Adele. He wanted to be known as an artist, not just a DJ and remixer, and thought that if he could make a statement with his debut, maybe the world would see him that way. But despite the deal, his managers kept insisting he stay on the road, building momentum instead of hunkering down with his songs.

In early 2015, he finally told his agents to stop booking shows. He went back to Montreal to focus on recording, but even then he wasn’t free, should his goal be experimentation, or, as others were pressuring him, to craft radio hits. All along he just wanted to craft the signature Kaytranada sound, an amalgamation of house, disco, and hip-hop. Often using a synth called FM8 that he has customized uniquely, so it sounds something like a cross between a church organ and an accordion. Growing from a Soundcloud – dj to a consistent artist retaliated this album as a solid one. You can stream it on Spotify, and check out the complete tracklist. Or check it out on iTunes.